Acoustic Echo Path Change Detection Apparatus and Method

1. An acoustic echo path change detection apparatus comprising: a time domain path change detection functionality in communication with an acoustic echo canceller, said time domain path change detection functionality arranged to: detect a change in a near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a time domain analysis of a near-end signal and a signal output by the acoustic echo canceller; and output an indication of said detected change, a frequency domain path change detection functionality in communication with the acoustic echo canceller, said frequency domain path change detection functionality arranged to: detect a change in the near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a frequency domain analysis of a far-end signal and the signal output by the acoustic echo canceller; and output an indication of said detected change, and a combination path change detection functionality arranged to: determine a first function of said output indication of said time domain path change detection functionality and said output indication of said frequency domain path change detection functionality; and output said determined first function.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: the acoustic echo canceller; and an adaptation control functionality arranged, responsive to said output first function, to adjust the operation of said acoustic echo canceller.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said time domain analysis comprises a determination of a cross correlation of a second function of the near-end signal and a third function of the acoustic echo canceller output signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of said second function and said third function comprises an auto-regressive moving average.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said frequency domain analysis comprises: a frequency band separation of the acoustic echo canceller output signal into a plurality of acoustic echo canceller frequency components; a frequency band separation of the far-end signal into a plurality of far-end frequency components; for each of said plurality of frequency components, a determination of a cross power of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component and far-end frequency component; and for each of said plurality of frequency components, a determination of a difference between a fourth function of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component and a fifth function of said determined cross power, wherein said acoustic echo path change is detected responsive to the number of frequency bands where said determined difference is greater than a predetermined frequency difference threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said fourth function comprises an auto-regressive moving average, and wherein said fifth function comprises a normalization with said auto-regressive moving average of said respective far-end frequency component and with an auto-regressive moving average of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first function comprises combinational logic.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a near-end input arranged to receive the near-end signal; a far-end input arranged to receive the far-end signal; and an echo canceller input arranged to receive acoustic echo canceller output signal.

9. An acoustic echo path change detection method, the method comprising: receiving a near-end signal; receiving a far-end signal; receiving a signal output by an acoustic echo canceller; detecting an indication of a change in a near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a time domain analysis of said received near-end signal and said received acoustic echo canceller output signal; detecting an indication of a change in the near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a frequency domain analysis of said received far-end signal and said received acoustic echo canceller output signal; determining a first function of said time domain detected indication and said frequency domain detected indication; and outputting said determined first function.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, responsive to said output first function, adjusting the operation of the acoustic echo canceller.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said time domain analysis comprises determining a cross correlation of a second function of said received near-end signal and a third function of said received acoustic echo canceller output signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of said second function and said third function comprises an auto-regressive moving average.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said frequency domain analysis comprises: separating said received acoustic echo canceller output signal into a plurality of acoustic echo canceller frequency components; separating said received far-end signal into a plurality of far-end frequency components; for each of said plurality of frequency components, determining a cross power of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component and far-end frequency component; and for each of said plurality of frequency components, determining a difference between a fourth function of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component and a fifth function of said determined cross power, wherein said acoustic echo path change is detected responsive to the number of frequency bands where said determined difference is greater than a predetermined frequency difference threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said fourth function comprises an auto-regressive moving average, and wherein said fifth function comprises a normalization with said auto-regressive moving average of said respective far-end frequency component and with an auto-regressive moving average of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein said first function comprises combinational logic.

16. An acoustic echo path change detection apparatus, comprising a programmable processor configured such that the apparatus: receives a near-end signal; receives a far-end signal; receives a signal output by an acoustic echo canceller; detects an indication of a change in a near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a time domain analysis of said received near-end signal and said received acoustic echo canceller output signal; detects an indication of a change in the near-end acoustic echo path responsive to a frequency domain analysis of said received far-end signal and said received acoustic echo canceller output signal; determines a first function of said time domain detected indication and said frequency domain detected indication; and outputs said determined first function.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said programmable processor is further configured such that the apparatus, responsive to said output first function, adjusts the operation of the acoustic echo canceller.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said time domain analysis comprises a determination of a cross correlation of a second function of said received near-end signal and a third function of said received acoustic echo canceller output signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein each of said second function and said third function comprises an auto-regressive moving average.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said frequency domain analysis comprises: a separation of said received acoustic echo canceller output signal into a plurality of acoustic echo canceller frequency components; a separation of said received far-end signal into a plurality of far-end frequency components; for each of said plurality of frequency components, a determination of a cross power of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component and far-end frequency component; and for each of said plurality of frequency components, a determination of a difference between a fourth function of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component and a fifth function of said determined cross power, wherein said acoustic echo path change is detected responsive to the number of frequency bands where said determined difference is greater than a predetermined frequency difference threshold.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said fourth function comprises an auto-regressive moving average, and wherein said fifth function comprises a normalization with said auto-regressive moving average of said respective far-end frequency component and with an auto-regressive moving average of said respective acoustic echo canceller frequency component.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said first function comprises combinational logic.